Frank i



(No Model.)

, F. I. MYERS. ELEOTRIO RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No, 467,581. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK I. MYERS, OF NET/V YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,581, dated January26, 1892. Application filed March 16. 1891. Serial No. 385.191. (N0model.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, county of New York, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric RailwaySignaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railway signaling apparatus, the objectbeing to improve and render more certain the operation of what is knownas the Sykes system of semi-automatic signaling. This system is acombined locking and blocking system, in which the levers by which thesignals are moved are locked and cannot be released until a train on theprotected block has passed out of the same, and automatically put thecircuits into condition for release, the release being finallyaccomplished manually through electric circuits. In this system also anoperator at the rear of ablock is dependent upon an operator at theforward end of the block.

My invention consists of the combination of circuits hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The drawing represents a diagram of the circuits and apparatuscomprehended by my invention.

' The line of railroad is divided into successive sections or blocks,and at the beginning and ending of each block is a signal-tower.

In the drawings, A represents the location of a tower at the beginningof a block, and B the location of a tower at the end of the same block.In each tower is a magnetic lock 0, the functionof which is to lock andrelease the lever which operates the signal. This lock is controlled bythe operator in the tower ahead or at the end of the block through thefollowing circuit: From ground to the lock- Inagnet, thence by wire 0connecting the towers to a spring d, (when; the circuit is closed,) wire3, metal Wheel m, brush it, wires 2 and 0, armature r, wire 1), armature9, wire q, battery M B to ground. This circuit is called the mainlocking-circuit.

I will now describe the apparatus at a tower which controls thiscircuit. The two springs d and d are normally separated and insulatedfrom each other. E represents the end of a lever carrying two metallicpins 6 and e projecting fromit above and below. The lever is adapted tobe moved back and forthin the direction indicated by the arrow. Thismovement is imparted by the operator in any desired manner. It, however,is usually done by means of a thrust-rod connected with the lever, andthe operation is known as plunging. In plunging the lever first moves toa point between springs (Z and d and into contact with both of them andso completing the circuit through them. This is for an instant only, andthe lever in returning causes pin 6' to strike a tail-piece m on wheelm, making the latter rock and bring an insulated portion of itselfbeneath the brush it. \Vheel m isheld normally in the position shown bysprings, and the backward movement of the lever is past the tailpiece m.R is a relay, whose armature carries two metallic strips 1" andWinsulated from each other. Their front stops are the terminals ofelectric circuits, to be hereinafter mentioned. R is a second relaywhose function is to control the first, as will be explained. Both thefront and back stops of its armature are the terminals of electriccircuits. Relay R is in the circuitof battery B, as follows: frombattery by wire 1, through the relay, wire 2, brush 91, wheel m, wire 3,spring cl, wire 4., armature r front stop, and wires 5 and 6 to battery.At the rear ends of the blocks or section of track a short sectionsayabout fifty feet-of the track is insulated from the remainder of thetrack, and the two rails of this section are connected with theterminals of another battery M. The circuit of this battery is normallycompleted by the wires 15 and 16, which include the relay R.

The working of the apparatus is as follows: the signals normally are todanger, and locked in that position by bolts 12. hen a train approachestower A, the operator in that tower requests the operator in tower B1 torelease his lever so that he may clear the signal and allow the train topass into the block. Ile makes this request by telegraph or otherwise.the tower B plunges, thereby closing the locking-circuit, hereinbeforespecified, at the springs (Z (Z', de-energizes the locking-magnet intower A, and the bolt 1) is Withdrawn, allowing the operator in tower Ato clear his If the block is clear, the operator in IOO signal, and thetrain enters the block. It should be here stated that the locking-magnetis a permanent magnet which, when the current flows through its coils,becomes de- 5 energized, the electromagnetism counteracting thepermanent magnetism. Immediately after closing the circuit at thesprings d d the lever E moves back, and in doing so rotates wheel m,thus breaking the circuit of IO relay R and allowing its armature tofall, thus making a second break at sin the. lockingcircuit, and alsomaking a second break at s in the circuit of relay R. This-second breakin the relay-circuit may be regarded as a permanent one, while the.first break at m is only instantaneous. These operations take place onthe act of plunging. The train then proceeds through the block, and whenit reaches the insulated section of track T at the end of the block thewheels and axles T of the train short-circuit battery M and thusde-energize relay R, allowing its armature r to fall against itsbackstop and close the circuit of relay R as follows: from battery B bywire 1, through relay R, wire 0, armature r, and wires 7 and 6 tobattery. Relay R then, attracting its armature, closes its own originalcircuit at s, and also closes the locking-circuit at s. As soon as thelast wheel of the train has passed off of the section T, relay R becomesenergized again and draws its armature against its front stop. It willbe noticed that while the relay R was de-energized the locking-circuitwas broken at a third point 3 5 8 but this break was reclosed as soon asthe train left the insulated track section. The circuits are now intheir original condition, and if the operator in tower B plunges againupon the request of A, As lever will be unlocked, as before, and thesame operation will'takeplace; but suppose A had called for a releasebefore the train had passed out of the block or passed the insulatedtracksection. Then if B had plunged it would not 5 have unlocked Aslever because the lockingcircuit was still open at s and would continueso until the train itself closed it, as described above.

My invention also embraces a further im- =o provement in-the Sykessystem, which is designed to prevent another fault I have discoveredtherein, and that is when an operator plunges in response to the call ofan adjacent operator he is liable under certain conditions to release orunlock his own signal-lever. This is brought about by an accidentalcross on the wires which extend from tower to tower.

Referring again to the drawing, the wire f is a part of thelocking-circuit controlled at tower A and extending to the lock-magnetfat tower B. The wires f and c are run side by side between the towers,and it sometimes happens that a conductor of electricity falls acrossthem, in which case if the operator in tower B, for instance, plunges acircuit will be established, as follows, the cross being represented bydotted line 00 w: from ground through the locking-magnet f by wire f,cross 00 m, wire 0, springs d d, wire 3, wheel m, brush a, wire 2, wire0, armature 1", wire p, armature 0", wire q, and battery M B to ground.This would result in releasing the lock in tower B and would alsoshort-circuit tower A. To prevent this,I insert in the wiref at a pointbetween the lock-magnet and the main line two springs f f which arenormally in electrical connection through the metallic pin a on lever E;but while the said lever E is over between the springs 01 d the springsf are out of contact with each other, and consequently the circuit ofthe lock-magnet in tower B is open, and although the cross may be on thewires it will have no evil effect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a railway signalingsystem, the combination, with a main locking-circuit, a relay, as It,controlling the same, and two local circuits, both including said relay,of a second 0 relay, as R, controlling one of said local circuits, and atrain-operated circuit-controller controlling the circuit of said secondrelay, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a mainlocking-circuit, a local circuit controlled manually, a relay, as R, insaid local circuit controlling the main locking-circuit, a second localcircuit controlling said relay, a second relay, as R, controlling saidsecond local circuit, and a train-operated circuit-controllercontrolling the circuit of said second relay, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a railway signaling system, the combination, with two separatelocking-circuits extending side by side, each being normally open at oneend and closed at the other, the closed end of one circuit beingopposite. or adjacent to the open end of the other, of .acircuit-controller adapted to complete one no circuit at one end andopen the other at the same end, for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal and signed my name inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK I. MYERS. [L. s]

lVitnesses:

J. A. MOWHEAD, MASON S. HALL.

